Fired Manchester officer charged in Bedford hit and run to see pension

March 27. 2013 8:55PMMANCHESTER - Stephen Coco, the Manchester police sergeant who was fired and arrested following a hit-and-run accident on Friday in Bedford, won't getting his pension right away, but once he does he could be getting about $37,100 a year.

Pensions continue under the New Hampshire Retirement System, even if a member is arrested and convicted of a crime, said system spokesman Marty Karlon.

But other benefits aren't available. Because Coco didn't retire from his job, he won't be eligible for benefits such as a medical subsidy or survior benefit, Karlon said.

And he will have to wait to get his pension. Coco is 41; no one is eligible for pension benefits until the age of 45, Karlon said.

He had been with the city for 17 years and 8 months before his termination on Monday. Based on his departing annual salary of $84,000, Coco's pension will amount to about $37,100 a year.